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Lawmakers Eye New Online Degree Program at CWU that Gives College Credit for Experience

Central Washington University may begin making it easier for veterans, early education professionals and others to translate their experiences into diplomas, if a proposed bill is passed.

Rep. David Sawyer, D-Tacoma, sponsored a bill to begin an online alternative degree program at CWU.

"As one of the younger members in the House of Representatives, I've been deeply concerned over tuition," said Sawyer, a CWU political science and geography graduate, at the bill's public hearing before the House higher education committee Tuesday.

He said an alternate to giving universities more state money was to "challenge how we think about education."

If passed, HB 2352 would let students get college credit based on what they've learned on the job or in the military, for example, instead of based on how many hours they spent in the classroom.

Read the rest of the story by Leilani Leach on the Columbia Basin Herald's website.